


Five Drinks, One Dinner

by fiefdom



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adorable Peter Parker, Bruce Banner Has Issues, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Mild Language, Minor Injuries, Not Canon Compliant, Post Infinity War Feel-Goods, Steve Rogers Is A Dad With No Kids, The Avengers Are Sneaky, Working For Tony Stark Is A Nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-05-04 14:50:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14595369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiefdom/pseuds/fiefdom
Summary: Everyone at the Avengers Base is losing it.





	1. The Drinks

**Author's Note:**

> This is a two-parter based around an OC. Her name's Edith (Eddie) Rose and she's been hired by Tony Stark to be the public relations manager of the Avengers because everybody thinks they suck. Eventually I'll be posting a full-length story about her that probably won't adhere to this a whole lot.
> 
> I just needed feel-goods after Infinity War.

___  
Eddie was in her office responding to an email when Natasha strolled casually in.

"Hey, Rose." 

In the compound she usually put on her Business Voice. She figured she spent enough time mopping up after the Avengers themselves it was no longer necessary when they were one-on-one. Didn't even look up from the screen of her laptop as she answered. "'Sup, Nat?" 

"I was wondering if you'd like to have a drink with me tonight." 

That got Eddie's attention. She'd heard _that_ tone. Sure enough Natasha had one hand braced on Eddie's meticulously organized desk, the other on her waist and a sultry smile on her lips. Eddie raised an eyebrow curiously, folding her hands in her lap.

"A drink?" 

She may have been on fairly friendly terms with the team - maybe would even call a few of them actual friends, but only if pressed - but they'd never gone out. Certainly they'd never flirted. Well, maybe Tony, but what came out of his mouth that wasn't flirting? Eddie was definitely the most professional of the bunch and she didn't doubt they'd all readily admit it. She'd never dated anyone she worked with.

Didn't mean she didn't think about it.

"Yeah. A drink." Natasha's eyes darted to Eddie's lips and then back up. Hm. 

Eddie's eyebrow settled back down to join the other and then they both pulled together. Natasha was _definitely_ flirting with her. Unexpected. Weird. Eddie's business was image and she knew a little about Natasha's thing with Bruce. Knew it was over. The rest of her knowledge of Nat's love life was limited but what sort of secret agent wasn't a master of seduction?

"We've never gone for drinks before..." Eddie was starting to smile a little, expecting a punch line.

Natasha perched on the edge of the desk gracefully. "Exactly. I'd like to change that. See you let your hair down a little." 

"Is it not usually?" chuckled Eddie. 

"Oh, come on. You're good at the perpetual chill act but you're almost as tightly wound as Banner. I can tell." Nat nudged the tip of Eddie's shoe with her boot. "Whaddya say?" 

A girl's night out actually sounded nice. Eddie had the distinct feeling that wasn't the kind of girl's night out Natasha was talking about. "Rain check." 

The coy smile was still there but it seemed oddly more smug as Natasha shrugged and slid off Eddie's desk. "Maybe next time."

As the woman left her office Eddie kept staring after her. She liked to joke that working with a bunch of superhumans was a walk in the park compared to celebrities and politicians. Most days it was true. Some days she wanted to borrow Vision's stone and get a peek into those crazy superpowered noggins. If only to spare herself a little grief.

"Okay..." she mumbled aloud to herself and went back to the email.

-

The next weirdness happened when she was in the break room. The fact that the Avengers' compound had a break room was sort of funny in itself. Eddie liked the displacement of walking in and finding Captain America reading the funnies with the white powdery residue of a donut on his chin. 

It was about a week after the incident with Natasha, which hadn't happened again and Eddie had almost forgotten about. Eddie was pouring herself a fresh cup of coffee before she had her bi-weekly (unless more were called for) meeting with Tony. Caffeine was always a good idea when dealing with a hyperverbal super-genius boss. That wasn't even new.

"What's up, buttercup?"

Eddie turned her head and found Happy waiting with his own empty cup, leaning on the counter and smirking at her. She handed over the pot with a smile. "Good morning, Happy. Just delivered Tony, I presume?" 

"He may or may not be weekend-at-Bernie's-ing it behind his shades, but he _is_ in his office." 

Laughing, Eddie ripped open a packet of sugar and drained the granuals into her mug. "Good enough for me."

That should have been that. Normally that _would_ have been that. Eddie liked Happy but they didn't actually talk much besides traded pleasantries and occaisionally collaborating on Tony's schedule. So when Happy's hand closed lightly on her elbow to stop her turning away Eddie looked at him expectantly. A little bit surprised. 

"What do you say to a drink with me? You free tonight?" 

_Very_ surprised. 

Eddie blinked once. Twice. "Oh. Well..." 

"I don't bite unless you want me to." Happy winked at her and Eddie found herself charmed. But not in the sort of way that meant she was going to take up the offer. More like when a sweet guy in a bar hit on her but gratefully took 'no' for an answer. 

Gently, she removed her elbow from his grasp and fluttered her lashes at him. "I'd love to accept, but I just can't trust myself to act like a lady when it comes to you, Happy. _And_ I don't date my coworkers." 

He sighed but it was exaggerated. Seemed like it was for show. "Shucks. It was worth a shot, though." 

"Yes, it was." Edith gave him a good-natured smile and patted his arm as she made a swift departure for the safety of Tony's office. 

At least when Tony hit on her she could just ignore it. 

-

The third weirdness was two weeks later.

As it was in the compound, a month without some sort of global catastrophe was quite a month. While that month's catastrophe wasn't exactly global it was pretty bad. And while Eddie signed on as a PR manager and not a medic, she'd done her part when the crew rolled up in not-so-amazing shape.

It had been a long day. Eddie could feel the dried sweat under her clothes, which were usually impeccably neat and were currently untucked and dusted with dirt and a little dried blood. Her blazer was ruined and discarded somewhere and her sleeves were rolled up. Coffee just wasn't the ticket and she was incredibly glad for the bottle of Scotch she had once spotted in Tony's desk. The man himself was asleep on the large couch in his office and Eddie took some comfort in the fact that he looked worse than she did. Even if she hadn't been doing world-saving stuff and didn't have a massive gash that almost reached her femoral artery.

"Hey, doc," grunted Tony, waking to the sound of his bottle clinking as she removed it from his desk. "I see you're helping yourself. Go ahead. You deserve it." 

"Thank you. I do." Eddie strolled over to where Tony lay prone, sitting down on the coffee table beside him and pouring two glasses. Probably Tony shouldn't be drinking on painkillers but Pepper wasn't currently there to scold and Eddie trusted the strength of his liver. "How's the leg?"

Tony tried to sit up and stopped halfway with a grunt. "A lot more stabbed than I like it, but not deadly thanks to you. You didn't think to mention on your resume that you're sort of a boss with a needle and thread? Might have paid you even better." 

"There's a trained staff of medical personnel here, Tony. I just happened to be right there when you dropped in. Literally." 

Snorting, Tony took the glass she handed him and clanked it into hers. "Nevertheless: thanks. I owe you one." 

"Just doing my job," deflected Eddie, though she was smiling contently after a long sip of the Scotch. "Everybody else is good, by the way. You took the worst of it." 

"I _know_ that," sneered Tony. "Bunch of superhuman freakazoids always make me look bad. Don't know why I hired 'em." 

Eddie chuckled. "Well, Bruce took a nasty bump to the head if that makes you feel any better." 

Tony hummed as he finished his glass in a gulp. Then his eyebrows twitched as if he'd just remembered something and he licked his lips. 

"This reminds me. We should get a drink sometime." 

In their current setting and with her brain nearing critical exhaustion Eddie didn't catch on right away. "We're having a drink right now, boss."

"A drink drink. Maybe accompanied by dinner." 

Eddie frowned at him, perplexed. The dots connected and she scoffed incredulously, draining her own Scotch and then using the hand that held it to point accusingly at Tony.

"Did you leak some kind of alien mating juice into the water supply here?" 

It was Tony's turn to look taken aback. "I don't... _think_ so." 

"Then I'd very much like to know why you're the third person in this joint to ask me out in the last month. When in the previous ten months the exact total was _zero_." 

Tony made a thoughtful sound and settled back down into the sofa. "Well, that is a little weird." 

"Weird, huh." Eddie shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm starting to be able to tell when you're bullshitting me." 

"You're fired." 

"Oh, so we're pretending you didn't just make a pass at me with your fiance napping next door?" 

Tony's eyes were drifting shut again but he cracked one open to look at Eddie. "That's a 'no', then?"

She would have hit him if he weren't already injured. "Yes, that's a 'no'." 

Whatever he mumbled was impossible to catch as it ended on a snore, but Eddie thought it sounded a lot like ' _good_ '. 

-

Number four took place at the surprise one year anniversary party thrown for Eddie. 

To the credit of the Avengers she was _extremely_ surprised. Reach-for-the-handgun-in-her-purse surprised, but she figured that was kind of fair when you walked into a dark room expecting no one and found it full of shouting superheros. 

"I knew I didn't forget my phone!" Eddie exclaimed as they converged on her, Wanda in the front with a sly grin.

Thor clapped her on the back and Eddie wobbled a little on her heels. "Have you finally been flapped, unflappable Edith Rose?" 

There was a collective chuckle and Eddie nodded, trying not to look just as touched as she was that they cared enough to throw her a party at all. "Consider me flapped, guys. Thank you."

It was then that she was led into the main area of the base, finding it more dimly lit than usual and full of people and soft jazz music. Eddie raised an eyebrow at a still-limping Tony when he appeared beside her.

" _What_? It's super hush-hush, very private. No paparazzi on the guest list. You're off the clock, kid." 

Eddie shook her head but she couldn't seem to get the smile off her face. "I'm going to feed you those words when something inevitably goes wrong." She gave his shoulder a fond squeeze before heading down to join the revelry, calling over her shoulder "You got the Macarena on that playlist?" 

Tony looked like she'd just slapped him in the face. Good. He still deserved it after whatever got into him two weeks earlier, though it hadn't happened again so Eddie assumed they were good.

It turned out she knew most of the people there at least in passing. The fact that she didn't really have any friends wasn't news to Eddie but she had a lot of professional contacts, a lot of fancy dinner party invites. There was even a Senator or two in the mix including the first politician she ever managed way back in the day. Eddie had to hand it to Tony: he knew how to throw a party. 

After around half an hour Eddie was thirsty and wanted a break from conversating. There was a stocked bar (of course, Tony) and Eddie made a bee-line. When she got there she found Nat and Bruce though the former was already departing in another direction with a martini in hand. 

"Got another one of those in ya, slugger?" Eddie asked as she perched on a bar stool, smiling across the bar at Bruce. 

He returned the grin in that shy way of his and started to make her the same drink he'd just made Natasha. "Enjoying the festivities? Resisting the urge to network?"

"Yeesh. Am I that bad?" winced Eddie. It had been a struggle not to try making new contacts, reconnecting with old. All channels were good channels when you had to keep the general public from hating the Avengers.

"No, no." Bruce was quick to try and amend his statement. "You're awesome at your job. We all owe you." 

Eddie crossed her arms and leaned them on the bar. "Does that mean I get to join the team? The Public Relations Avenger?" 

"You're probably more qualified than I am." 

"Hush," said Eddie quickly without any bite. "You're one of the best. And you're _certainly_ qualified to make that martini. No such thing as too much gin." 

Bruce garnished the drink with three olives and slid it toward Eddie. "That's why they call me the Bartending Avenger."

Their eyes made contact and Eddie noticed just how often she noticed the brown of his eyes. Some of the kindest eyes she'd ever seen. She could always get a good read on people. Bruce was something special. More special than the rest of the very special people in the room. Her fingertips ghosted his knuckles when she took the glass and they both broke at the same time. 

"Well, I should -"

"I'm gonna go -"

Eddie stood to leave, not totally unaware of the light flush on Bruce's face. "Mingle?" 

Bruce nodded and his expression was almost grateful before Eddie lost him in the throng. Well, that was normal if not a bit of a let down. Not that she'd do anything if Bruce fell into her inexplicable line of suitors. That was unprofessional, not to mention a PR disaster waiting to happen. Keeping herself out of the spotlight was just as important as keeping the Avengers out of the spotlight. If not more.

The party went on for about another two hours before the guests started to trickle out. Eddie had her heels off, feet tucked under her in a leather armchair feeling satisfied and sleepy and just tipsy enough she was going to have to ask someone for a ride home. Preferably not one of the flying ones. 

"Wanna grab a drink with me after this? Solo?"

Eddie twitched a little, unaware that anyone had even been standing next to her. She looked up and found Clint holding the dregs of a beer, watching her casually. 

So there it was. 

"With you and your wife?" asked Eddie after a beat.

Clint snorted and gave her a very dude-ish smack on the shoulder that didn't really align with the fact he'd just asked her out. "You're one of the good ones, Rose." And with that he sauntered away toward Nat.

_What?_

-

"Hey, Ms. Rose? I was kinda...I mean, I was just sort of wondering if maybe -"

"No. Stop." 

Eddie had just walked through the front door to be ambushed by a stammering teenager wearing mostly spandex. Fancy Stark spandex, whatever. After the Clint thing she'd been on edge, eyeing every Avenger-affiliated person that walked up to her with suspicion. The _kid_ was where she had to draw the line. 

The kid was also the most likely to crack under pressure. 

"Come with me, Mr. Parker," she continued, full-on Business Voice as she moved briskly for her office.

"O...kay..." Peter already sounded sheepish. That was good.

Eddie didn't say another word until her door was closed and locked. Then she rounded on him. 

"Explain." 

Peter crossed his arms and tried to stand there like he didn't know exactly what she was referring to. "Uuh, what? Explain what?" 

Folding her arms as well, Eddie leaned on the edge of her desk and narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm just going to stare at you until you start talking." 

Clearly Peter was trying to hold it in. To be fair, Eddie didn't expect him to last as long as he did. A whole four seconds. 

"I don't really know how it started but it's a dare. Mr. Stark dared all of us to ask you out for drinks and see who you said 'yes' to," blurted Peter. Like not telling her the truth was physically paining him, bless his heart. 

Eddie cocked her head at him. "You can't even drink, honey." 

"I coulda had a soda." 

It was hard not to crack a grin at that one but Eddie managed. Almost three months of worrying about all her coworkers asking her out was more than wearing on her nerves. So, it all came down to Tony. As did so many pains in her neck. Ironic when he was the one that hired her to manage the rest of them. 

"But _why_?" pushed Eddie because she really didn't get it. "What's the point?"

Peter shrugged. "I dunno. I think it came up that you're...um..."

"I'm what?" Eddie asked, a little more harshly than she meant to.

Color came to Peter's cheeks and he quickly held up his hands in surrender. "N-nothing, like, _bad_! Just...really focused on your work, I guess. It was just like a little friendly competition. Just to see who you'd say yes to, that's all."

Eddie sighed. There was limited logic behind that. The amount of 'friendly competition' that went on in the compound when the team had down time was truly juvenile. Tony was usually the worst. There was still something about it that didn't totally click but Eddie didn't _think_ the kid would lie to her. At least not convincingly. 

"Does that mean I have a few more of you clunkheads to worry about?" 

Peter ticked off people on his fingers. "Well, Wanda and Vision thought it would be too conspicuous 'cause they're so into each other. Plus they didn't really care. Thor didn't really _get_ it. Colonel Rhodes said we're all immature -"

"You are," snapped Eddie, but she couldn't stay mad at the kid long when he looked so sorry. She chewed on her lip and forced herself to ask what she really wanted to because Peter wouldn't rat on her. Hopefully. "What about...Dr. Banner?" 

Peter shifted his feet, looking at Eddie with his head down. "He didn't wanna play. I think...I don't really think he wanted to do it on a dare, ya know?"

It was hard to genuinely surprise Eddie. Of course Spiderman could manage it. He seemed to be judging her reaction and Eddie quickly composed herself. "Ah. Well, I don't fraternize with my coworkers. So you're all out of luck." 

"That's kind of an outdated rule, though." When Eddie looked at him like he'd sprouted another head Peter quickly went on. "I mean, it's a good rule in, like, a regular office! I totally agree with that. But this is, like... _super_ office. Everybody's on the verge of being exploded all the time. So...carpe diem, right?" 

Eddie barked an astounded laugh. "'Carpe diem' the teenager tells me! Is dating the _megahumans_ you work with not an even worse recipe for disaster?" 

Peter flashed a demure smirk at her. "Or really awesome?" 

"You hitting on me again, Webster?" 

Just as quick he was flushed and stuttering again. "What? Oh, no! Not that you aren't - I mean, you are kinda older than me and stuff -"

"Alright, I get it." Eddie closed the distance between them and gave Peter's shoulder a genial squeeze. "You're off the hook." 

Peter exhaled in relief as Eddie steered him toward the door. "I'm just trying to say you work really hard. You deserve a little fun! And so does Dr. Ban-"

"Thank you, Mr. Parker!" 

Once her door was closed and she was alone Eddie took a deep breath. She didn't love that she was the target of a bet involving who she'd willingly go out with. It still didn't make a lot of sense and it was _so_ inappropriate. If it had happened anywhere else she worked Eddie would already be storming her way into her boss's office. 

Instead it was a little annoying at most. She sort of wanted to see who else was going to try.

Not Bruce. He wasn't playing. 

That wasn't disappointing _at all_.

-

Eddie liked eating meals alone. At the very least she'd been doing it long enough that she just didn't mind. 

A year in New York City was hardly enough time to sample even a quarter of the restaurants and she'd been trying to find her favorite. It was a Wednesday (the day that she tried to take as a steady day off, but God knew that hardly ever happened) and the place she'd randomly picked based on good Yelp reviews was what she would have called a 'fancy hole in the wall'. Not very crowded but neatly decorated with an air of sophistication that didn't shove itself in your face.

The perfect place to get some time to herself. And of course she was still reading the latest articles posted about the Avengers on her phone and making notes. When a body appeared standing next to her Eddie assumed it was the waiter and tore her eyes away from her phone. 

Unless Captain America moonlighted as a busboy it was not.

"Steve!" Eddie locked her phone and set it down on the table beside her half-gone coffee. "Is this a coincidence?" 

Steve had on sunglasses and a ballcap even though it was fast approaching nightfall, smiling contritely down at her. "Is there such a thing in our line of work?"

"Of course not. Please, have a seat. I haven't tried the food yet but the coffee's great." 

Since he was Captain America and he'd been waiting for an invitation to sit Steve did so, removing his sunglasses to tuck them into the pocket of his windbreaker. "I might have to try it. Been a long one."

The corners of Eddie's mouth turned down in sympathy. "How's Bucky?" 

"Doing his best to take it in stride," sighed Steve. "This isn't the first time the papers have gone after him. Won't be the last." 

"Well, I'm still working damage control on my end. We'll give it a little bit to cool off and then we'll do another interview. I think you and I should be there this time." 

Steve nodded his agreement as the actual waiter approached. He ordered a coffee and waited until they were alone again to level Eddie with one of his patented star-spangled gazes of contemplation. 

"You ever take an actual break, Eddie?" 

She found it weirdly homey that he called her by her nickname. Steve was just weirdly homey all around. Sometimes she felt like she'd known him since she was a kid. Maybe it was just seeing his face on cereal boxes and comic books. 

"Look who's talking." 

Steve smiled self-deprecatingly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but..."

"Managing the public image of the Avengers and saving the world are sort of black and white?" Eddie finished for him when Steve couldn't find words that were polite enough.

"Not that we don't appreciate everything you do for us." 

Eddie couldn't help but laugh at him. "I get it, Steve. I'm a little fish in a superpowered pond and I'm at peace with that." 

"You just spend so much time trying to make sure the world likes us. _We_ spend so much time trying to keep the world in one piece...I can't imagine how tough it would be to also consider how it feels about that." 

Eddie raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you just come here to tell me I'm doing a good job? 'Cause you guys already threw me a pretty great party, in case you forgot. Plus - I know I am."

"I guess I wanna know why. If it were just for the money it'd be obvious by now. I'm not sure if you've realized but you're going native. When you first started it was hard to get you to talk to us about anything but the next press conference." Steve paused to grin and sip his coffee. "Yesterday I watched you punch Barton in the stomach while Nat recorded it."

"He _told_ me to!" defended Eddie. To buy herself time she also took a drink from her cup. It was getting cold. She traced her finger around the rim and didn't look at Steve while she answered. "I've never been much of a team player. Always gotten things done better on my own. And I definitely never had anything to work toward that wasn't just for me." 

Steve 'hmm'ed thoughtfully. "You wanna leave your mark on the world?" 

Eddie shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, being the woman who made the world love the Avengers again ain't half bad for a girl from the Bronx, right?" 

"Not half bad." They shared the sort of twinkling look that came from both being NYC kids. Just vastly different timelines. Then Steve was furrowing his brow at her. "That's all?"

"Am I going to be billed for this therapy session, Dr. Rogers?" Eddie tried to joke the topic away but Steve just tilted his chin up at her. She sighed. "I've worked for some not-so-great people. I've worked for okay people. But I was never doing anything that really mattered. I'm old now and I can see that. This is the first time I've ever felt like I'm doing something... _good_. Really good. Maybe I can't fly or stop a speeding bullet or whatever, but I can manage the hell out of some PR. Might as well be doing it for the right people for once." 

There was a rather long silence where Steve was clearly scrutinizing her. It made Eddie shift in her seat just a little. Talking feelings had never been her strong suit. Captain America himself judging her moral compass felt slightly like being put on trial. 

"As good a reason as I've ever heard for anything," said Steve finally, draining his cup of coffee and going into his pocket for his wallet. 

Eddie automatically held up a hand to stop him. "I'll pay for the damn coffee, Rogers. What was with the third degree?" 

"Was it really that bad?" Steve was already standing up.

"I don't know...You're not staying for dinner?" 

Steve pushed his chair in and shook his head, slipping the shades back on. "It's me and Buck's Thai night. Just wanted to stop by. Thanks for the invite, though." 

It was hard not to mention just how cute it was that Steve and Bucky had a BFF Thai Food Night but Eddie just smirked. "Sounds awesome. Tell him 'hi' for me." 

"Will do." Steve gave her a salute and half-turned to go. He hesitated, hands in his pockets. Eddie waited for him, hoping he'd finally tell her why he'd just grilled her. "Banner. What are your thoughts?" 

_That_ wasn't what she was expecting. 

It caught her off guard and she came across a little too uninterested. "My thoughts? On what?" 

Maybe the tone she used was just a little too clueless. Steve had a knowing tilt to his lips that was making Eddie wish he was the one she'd gotten to punch. It probably would have hurt a lot more, but still. "You should ask him out for a drink sometime." 

" _Jeez_ , Steve. I thought maybe you were above all that betting crap," said Eddie, giving him her sternest look.

Even behind his sunglasses Eddie could tell he was still doing that stupid I-know-something-you-don't-know face. "What bet?" 

"The bet that...Rogers!" Eddie called after him when Steve just walked away. Just for good measure she followed it with 'rude!' and pretended not to hear him chuckle as he disappeared through the front door. 

-

Six weeks after Steve joined her for coffee Eddie's office burst into...well, water.

There was no better way to put it. One second she was on the phone with CNN and the next everything was water. Not even filling with water. With a faint whistling sound the air ceased to be and liquid was in its place. Eddie almost sucked in a deep breath of it she was so caught off guard, floating out of her chair and watching most of her belongings do the same off of her desk.

It took her about five seconds to process what was happening. After that she had a brief moment of panic followed by the realization that she needed to get out of there and focused calm. Her heels fell off her feet as she pumped her arms and legs, headed for her door. The handle wouldn't move no matter how hard she pressed on it. Eddie's lungs were already burning for air and she struggled a moment longer, the fear creeping back in. 

She couldn't get out.

Through the glass windows of her office Eddie could tell that the hallway was also filled with water. She couldn't see anyone else. Beating her fists against the wall just caused a muffled thud. All of the glass in the compound was beyond bulletproof. There was no way Eddie could break it even if she got the gun in her desk. Not that the handgun would work underwater. 

Eddie turned around and pushed off the glass with her feet, going to the other wall of her office that faced outside. Someone had to be out there. A guard, at least. All that greeted her was gunfire. She couldn't hear a thing but she could see men in dark combat gear firing on the compound. Sam zipped by the windows but he didn't see her, busy trying not to get shot.

Fuck. _Fuck_.

Her chest was aching, her head starting to pound. No oxygen. No way out. Eddie clamped both hands over her mouth and nose to try and keep herself from breathing in the water. 

She was going to die. Any second now she was going to lose the battle against her body and draw the water into her lungs and then she would drown. It was a shitty, harsh, sudden reality. One that she was not prepared for.

Eddie's eyes stung and she didn't know if it was from the water or if she was trying to cry. It didn't matter. No one would ever know. When whatever was happening was over they would drain the facility and find her body limp and sodden on the floor of her office. 

Darkness swirled around the edges of her vision. Eddie clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to see the end when it came. She could feel the strength fading from her limbs, her nails digging desperately into her cheeks. It was only a matter of time. Just seconds. 

A roaring began in her ears and with the last truly coherent thought she could muster Eddie wished she had more _time_. 

Her eyes popped open at the muted sound of shattering glass. She didn't have time to spin herself around before something huge and hard was slamming into her back. If she had to guess she would say it was a bus but that didn't seem possible. 

Then again, neither did all the oxygen in her office becoming water.

Eddie was being rushed at the outside wall of glass and she tried to brace her arms over her face but they wouldn't move. She needed air. Consciousness was fading fast. Something big covered her just before they came in contact with the glass. 

Sweet, _sweet_ oxygen.

She was falling.

Everything went black.

-

 

When Eddie came to she was flat on her back, immediately trying to sit up and gasping for air. The last thing she remembered was not having enough of it. 

Her throat was raw and she was wet and sore all over - especially her head and chest - but she was alive. Somehow. Eddie touched her face like she couldn't believe it was still there, gradually starting to breathe like normal. 

"Eddie!" 

At the sound of her name she turned her head, wincing at the various aches and pains. Now she knew she was in the med bay on a cot. One of many. There were several bodies as limp as hers had just been. A few covered in white sheets. Eddie swallowed and looked up as Peter vaulted over a cot to get to her. 

"Are you okay? You've been out like an hour," he panted, kneeling down next to her. He was soaked too and there was a cut on his cheek but otherwise he seemed unscathed.

Eddie nodded. "What the hell happened?" 

"This crazy HYDRA splinter group showed up and bombed the place. A hydrogen atom bomb. Turns all the air in an enclosed space into water. Really cool, pretty messed up. Plus they managed to hack into security for, like, three minutes. You sure you're okay?" 

"I'm fine. Is everyone else alright?" Eddie's eyes flickered to the closest white sheet.

Peter pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "We lost some people. Mostly guards. Happy's...well, they had to air lift him to the hospital." 

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Eddie shuddered. "Jesus..." That last memory of what felt like an elephant bursting her out of her office came back and she looked at Peter earnestly. "How did I get out of there? I was trapped." 

Peter jerked his head behind Eddie and she instinctively turned to look. Just about a foot away from her Bruce Banner was slumped over in a metal folding chair. His chin was on his bare chest and he was snoring lightly, graying hair still damp. The only article of clothing he wore was a much-abused pair of pants. There wasn't a scratch on him. 

"I think it takes a lot out of him. Hulking out." 

Swivelling her head back toward Peter, Eddie regarded him with wide eyes. "Bruce...?"

"Saved your butt. A lot of butts. If he hadn't been here I dunno how many more wouldn't have made it out." Peter looked over at Bruce and then back at Eddie seriously. "But I think he was the only one who knew you were in your office. It's a Wednesday, ya know."

That explained why it felt like a ton of bricks was what broke her out of her flooded office. Bruce saved her life. No one else even knew she was there. Eddie watched Bruce sleeping for a moment, able to hear the soft snores he gave every other breath. There was a throb in her chest. It didn't feel like her lungs.

"Hey, I know I'm just a kid and all -"

Since it was coming: "But?"

"But...he's been sitting there this whole time." 

Eddie didn't know what to say to him. Despite the fact that she was wet from head to toe her mouth was dry. There was enough of a pause that Peter's head turned sharply toward something else. Someone else who needed his help.

"If you're sure you're okay I gotta go." He jumped up.

When she could gather her wits Eddie stopped him. "Hey, Parker."

He stopped, half-turned toward Eddie. "Yeah?"

"You called me Eddie," she smiled.

Peter's eyes widened but he grinned back after a moment. "Woah...guess I did." 

"Go on." Eddie nodded in the direction he'd been heading. "Be a hero."

"You got it, Eddie!" 

She couldn't help chuckling when she called after him: "Don't wear it out!" 

Apparently that was loud enough to wake Bruce. He snorted out of sleep and just as Eddie turned to him he was gently putting a hand on her shoulder, expression concerned.

"Does your head hurt? You shouldn't be sitting up yet," he fussed over her, his voice still rough with sleep.

Eddie tried not to look at him too warmly. "My head's alright, Bruce. All thanks to you, I hear." 

Bruce was shaking his head and grimacing, removing his hand quickly. "You hit your head when we landed. I was afraid you'd be concussed."

"I'm alive, though. Pretty positive I wouldn't be otherwise." Eddie didn't plan on letting him turn saving her life into a bad thing. "Thank you."

He wouldn't look her in the eye, standing up from the chair with a cringe at the aches in his body. "Don't mention it. I really need to check in with Tony." 

"Bruce -"

Eddie knew he heard her but Bruce just kept going. 

Why did she always go for the broody ones?


	2. Dinner?

The splinter group turned out to be the tip of the iceburg. And they had some aces in the hole. Real heavy hitters. It took the better part of eight weeks before everything was settling back to normal.

Normal was the Avengers base in ruins and at least half the team still recuperating. Sadly, very normal. 

Eddie was as busy as she'd ever been, probably busier. The press was having a field day as it usually did when it could pin millions of dollars in damage and the loss of human life on the Avengers. Since she'd actually been present for her fair share of that particular conflict (and by that point had definitely formed her own strong opinions about what the Avengers did for the world) Eddie was rocking it. In her personal opinion. 

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you just kicked Howard Stern's ass." 

Apparently she wasn't the only one. 

"Thank you, Tony, I am aware." Eddie grinned at her boss as he climbed into the back seat of the limo she was already sitting in. "I'll tweet him tomorrow and make sure there are no hard feelings."

As the door closed the roar of paparazzos was entirely silenced. Tony rapped a knuckle on the partition and the car started moving. He didn't say anything about it but Eddie knew he missed Happy. The prognosis was good and Happy's doctors assured Tony his favorite driver would be back in only a couple more weeks. Eddie was just glad they'd somehow managed not to lose any of the team permenantly.

Eddie was already on her phone going through the tidal wave of tweets that had been pouring in since she started a public Avengers account. Only about a fifth of them were actual questions and the rest were either insults or marriage proposals but it was going over a lot better than anyone thought it would. Slowly but surely Eddie was going to repair the much-tarnished public image of earth's mightiest heros.

She'd already booked Thor to get slimed at the next Kid's Choice Awards. 

"Would you like me to fire you?" 

Tony's question was so out of the blue Eddie ignored it entirely for a moment as she finished typing out one more reply. When that was done she set her phone down in her lap and tilted her head at her boss.

"We both know I'd quit before that ever happened."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I can only assume you not going out with our jolly green friend has to do with the whole 'not dating co-workers' B.S. That's what the kid tells me, anyway."

The first thing Eddie wanted to do was tweet ' _Spiderman wears a thong_ ' if only to delete it a few seconds later, but she resisted. The next thing she wanted to do was roll out of the moving vehicle.

"We're on the clock right now, Mr. Stark. I'd rather not have this conversation," she deadpanned, picking up her phone once again. 

Tony's hand covered the screen and he met her glare, unruffled. "Don't PR Robot Voice me, Rose. It's been _months_. Watching the two of you dance around each other is giving me serious agita." 

Despite wanting to hit Tony in the face Eddie knew he wasn't wrong. She was aware of it herself. After Bruce saved her life the tension between them was neck deep. Doing her job was second nature, probably more comfortable than just being herself, and Eddie had never felt unprofessional. Just being in a room with Bruce was rough. She often lost her train of thought when they had to talk. Even when it was about work.

Eddie dropped the voice as well as her phone and sighed. "What's going on, Tony? Steve and Peter have already harrassed me about this and now you? I thought in light of everything that stupid bet was over with."

"There was never any bet. I thought you were smart." 

"Never any...what the hell are you talking about?" demanded Eddie. 

Tony nodded sagely at her. "To be fair to you Spidey did a lot better than any of us expected. Didn't shut up about it for weeks, either." 

"Okay, I guess you forgot I'm not a genius. Tell me what's going on or I _will_ quit." Eddie crossed her arms, more than a little irritated.

"Calm down, now. Unknot yourself." Tony talked to her like she was angry bear and Eddie didn't love it. "You and Banner. It was all about you and Banner. Trying to nudge you in the right direction. Turns out you're just about as un-nudgeable as he is. Impressive, since he changes into an indomitable green fighting machine."

"I'm failing to see how encouraging all my coworkers to sexually harass me was nudging me in the right direction," snapped Eddie. 

Tony rolled his eyes at her. "You're not usually this _dramatic_! It came up in conversation and I suggested this reverse psychology type deal where you got so bent outta shape that everyone except Banner was asking you out that you asked him yourself. I thought the lame-o's vetoed it but I guess Natasha took things into her own hands. It sort of...spiralled from there. But hardly sexual harrassment."

It did expound on more of the madness that had been going on in her world lately. Eddie still didn't like it. Especially that they'd been right about her frustration with Bruce not asking her for a drink like all the others. "At the very least it's intrusive."

"Don't pout, dumpling," cooed Tony, clearly fighting off a grin. Or pretending to. "You and Brucey are the only ones that don't see it. You're both adults. Buck up."

"There was a clause in my contract about workplace fraternization." 

Eddie was reaching and she knew it. The look Tony gave her said he knew it, too. "You read that thing? I didn't even read that thing. Probably something in there about not punching your coworkers too, and yet..."

"Once! The one time!" 

"Just live a little. Nobody likes a workaholic."

Eddie shook her head at him and turned her face toward the heavily tinted window. Not dating people she worked with had never been an issue before. She kept her work life and her personal life miles apart. The job she had now was so much different, impacting every aspect of her daily life. Over a year in and she had to admit that she was friends with most of the people she worked with.

What could go wrong when literally her _boss_ was encouraging her to ask out a coworker?

Well, the coworker in question was an irradiated super-monster. Eddie knew deep down that wasn't what was making her hesitate.

"I knew you'd fit in when I met you but I couldn't put my finger on it," Tony went on after Eddie was quiet for several minutes. "Now I see. It's the intimacy issues!"

"What makes you think he would say yes?" asked Eddie severely. She didn't like being read. Being read correctly was worse.

Tony shrugged. "You're his type. For such a sweet little rosebud he likes women that aren't afraid to boss him around. It's been long enough since he and Nat called it off that it shouldn't be weird. Even she's on board with it, obviously."

"I maintain that this is a huge violation of privacy." 

"Maintain whatever you like." Tony cleared his throat at her. "You two have been _weird_ since Green Guy saved your butt. At least fix that, would you? One more awkward pseudo-conversation between the two of you when I have to be in the room and you're for-real fired." 

Eddie bit the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't crack a grin. "For-real, huh?" 

"Blacklisted in the entire northern hemisphere." 

Eddie shrugged. "I love Auckland." 

The corner of Tony's mouth threatened to twitch before he said: "You're not funny." 

_

A large chunk of Eddie's job was press conferences. They ranged in size from just Eddie and one or two Avengers with a handful of reporters to a massive room filled with flashing cameras and the gang all there. The particular conference she was getting ready for was in the area of the compound designated just for that. Nothing big, an announcement of some of new tech from the lab. An almost weekly event. 

Eddie didn't feel the need to supervise too much but she was keeping an eye on the proceedings, ducking out of the room where ten or so journalists were waiting for Tony and Bruce. Though they all knew the latter wouldn't really say anything and would most likely stand a little behind Tony looking uncomfortable. Eddie had been insisting on all of the team making more public appearances. Especially the ones that hated doing it. 

She was tapping away at her phone as she often was and only looked up at the sound of foot steps approaching, expecting it to be Tony. Bruce stopped in front of Eddie and opened the door a crack to peer in at the crowd. "Full house." 

Eddie smiled. Things were getting easier with Bruce. The way Tony gave her dirty looks whenever they were in a room together because it was almost a month since he cornered her in the limo and she hadn't made a move was not getting easier. But Bruce was none the wiser. 

"For you, maybe. This will be your third one. Still nervous?" 

The quiet hum of many journalists faded as Bruce let the door shut again. "A little. Tony does all the talking so it could be worse."

"Scared of the big bad paparazzos?" Eddie sent an email and tucked her phone away in the pocket of her blazer. 

Bruce smirked self-deprecatingly. "You ever _known_ everyone in a room is staring at you hoping you'll blow up? Literally."

"Well, there was my cousin's wedding..." Eddie teased, nudging Bruce's shoulder encouragingly. "You've been doing great. It's good for people to see _you_."

Bruce's eyes looked a bit sad and tired (they always did) but grateful. "All thanks to your hard work." 

Eddie waved a hand dismissively but it did feel nice to know Bruce thought she was doing well. Everyone seemed to. She realized that when he said it she felt a particularly warm swell of pride. 

It wasn't often that she made split second decisions. Most things she did and told other people to do per her job were carefully calculated. Risks were dangerous and came with unpredictable results. Possible negative outcomes. Eddie didn't like not knowing what was going to happen. 

She didn't know what was going to happen when she put her hand on Bruce's shoulder and stepped into his personal space. His first reaction was to stiffen up but Eddie pushed on. In her heels she was just about the same height as him so she didn't have to do much but tilt her head and lean in. Bruce's lips were dry, warm, a little chapped. Eddie kissed him like she meant it, sliding her thumb under the lapel of his coat. 

Just around the point in time where Eddie would have started to rethink kissing him if he didn't react Bruce's hands came to rest on her waist, pulling her just a little closer. Eddie exhaled softly through her nose and took it further, not unaware that they were in a hallway where anyone could walk up to them but still daring to press her body up against Bruce's. His hand was as warm as his lips and it made her shudder when it traveled slightly further up her back. Eddie made herself pull away first.

"We should have dinner." Eddie sounded a little breathless. Just feeling flustered was making her more flustered. "If you want to. That is."

Bruce was staring at her lips and it took him a second to nod. "Yeah. That sounds good." 

They both heard the sound of Tony's approach in the same moment, each taking a quick step back. Eddie grinned at the smudge of red lipstick on Bruce's upper lip, wiping discreetly at her own just in case she'd messed it up. She turned toward Tony first. The expression on his face said he knew exactly what had just happened. Eddie narrowed her eyes at his smugness but it was hard to be upset.

"Why, _hello_ , children," purred Tony with a wicked smirk, rubbing his hands together and looking back and forth between Eddie and Bruce. "Who's ready for a press conference?" 

Bruce was nearly as red as the mark on his lip. "Y-yeah. Me, I mean." 

Tony hummed and pretended to be noticing the smear on Bruce's face for the first time, pointing at it. "You've got a little...what _is_ that, Banner?" 

Amidst Bruce struggling for words Eddie reached out and cleaned the lipstick with her thumb. The red of his face upgraded nearly to scarlet and Eddie winked discreetly at him once the offending blemish was wiped away.

"Looks good to me," she said evenly, turning to Tony with Business Face on. "What do we say before we talk to the press?" 

"Don't be stupid," replied Tony. "But I'd like to know what was just on Bruce's face -"

Eddie shoved the door to the conference room open and as soon as the reporters caught sight of Tony and Bruce their cameras were flashing. "Show time, boys." Eddie smiled at them and stepped out of the way.


End file.
